hundred yeeres, and another that had
bent a couple of yron dripping pans armourwise, to fence his backe
and his belly, another that had thrust a payre of dry olde bootes as a
breast plate before his belly of his doublet, because he would not
be dangerously hurt: another that had twilted all his trusse full of
counters, thinking if the enemie shoulde take him, he would mistake them
for golde, and so saue his life for his money. Very deuout asses they
were, for all they were so dunstically set forth, & such as thought
they knew as much of Gods minde as richer men, why inspiration was their
ordinarie familiar, and buzde in theyr eares like a Bee in a boxe euerie
houre what newes from heauen, hell, and the lands of whipperginnie,
displease them who durst, hee shoulde have his mittimus to damnation _ex
tempore_, they woulde vaunt there was not a pease difference twixt them
and the Apostles, they were as poore as they, of as base trades as they,
and no more inspired than they, and with God there is no respect of
persons, onely herein may seeme some little diuersitie to lurke, that
_Peter_ wore a sword, and they count it flat hel fire for anie man to
weare a dagger, nay so grounded and grauelled were they in this opinion,
that now when they should come to battel, thers nere a one of them wold
bring a blade (no not an onion blade) about him, to die for it It
was not lawfull sayde they, for anie man to draw the sworde but the
magistrate, and in fidelitie (which I had welnigh forgot) _Iacke Leiden_
theyr magistrate had the image or likenesse of a peece of a rustie sword
like a lusty lad by his side, now I remember me, it was but a foile
neither, and he wore it, to shew that he should haue the foile of his
enemies, which might haue bin an oracle for his twohande interpretation.
_Quid plura_, his battell is pitcht, by pitcht, I do not meane set in
order, for that was far from their order, onely as sailers do pitch
their appareil, to make it stormeproofe, so had most of them pitcht
their patcht clothes, to make them impearceable. A neerer way than to
be at the charges of armor by halfe: and in another sort hee might
bee sayde to haue pitcht y field, for he had pitcht or set vp his rest
whither to flie if they were discomfited. Peace, peace there in the
belfrie, seruice begins, vpon their knees before they ioyne, fals _Iohn
Leiden_ and his fraternitie verie deuoutly, they pray, they houle, they
expostulate with God to grant them victor